Portable car heater



J n 19447 P. A. ANDERSON 2,350,360 I PORTABLE'FCAR HEATER Filed Nov. 1, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l ISnucutor attorneys.

June 6, 1944. P. A. ANDERSON PORTABLE CAR HEATER Filed Nov. 1, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 u 9 M e 7 (Ittornegs.

June 6, 1944. I p ANDERSON 2,350,860

PORTABLE CAR HEATER Filed Nov. 1, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 (IttornegS- Patented June 6, 1944 UNITED STATES v PATENT OFFICE Peter A. Andersom Portland, Maine," assignor to Utilities Distributors,.Inc., Portland, Maine, at corporation of. =Maine Applic'ation'November 1, 1941, Serial No. 417,555

- 4 Claims. (01.126-93) The present invention relates to improvements in portable car heaters or other heaters of a n3: ture particularly useful in connection with liquefied fuel which is deliverable in bottles, cylinders or containers of various kinds and is available in most sections of the country; v

Another object of the invention is'to produce a heater for cars, dwellings or other placesre quiring a heater of a portable character in which the fuel container may be apart of the unit, .and

in which the fuel container may serve as .a'support for. the burner assembly and its associated parts, the arrangement being such that the parts are disconnectible to permit of the gas bottles or containers when exhausted beingjremoved .and a full fuel container substituted, whereupon the parts are replaced. I

It is a further object of the invention to achieve these purposes in a construction which is compact, easily assembled and taken apart by the user andwhich may be manufactured easily and cheaply and sold at low cost. H

With the foregoing and other objects in .view, the invention will be more fully; described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto. i

.In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an im-- proved car heater constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 isanenlarged side elevation of the burnerassembly apart from its 1 supporting casing and structure and showing the flame deflector partially broken away. y 3 Figure 3 is a cross sectional view through the cross connecting member. A I e Figure 4 is a perspective view of an upright support employed. a

Figure 5 is a similar view of an angle iron sup;

port. r Figure'fi is a perspective view of the horizontal or transverse beam.

Figure 7 is an inverted perspective view ofthe flame deflector. r y: Figure 8 is a perspectiveview of the supporting ring, and a 1 Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the re silient arms employed. I Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 0. designates a flat bottom constructionor cradle for the gas bottle or liquid. fuel container I I, and .IZrepr'eSents' a collar-like casing which .is.re-

ceived over the upper end of -thecontain 'ene :2

The casing I2 is supported by the fuel container l I and in turn supports the burner afssemblyfand associated parts. The parts II], II and! are solidly welded together thus making a single unit. When the container I I is exhausted the three parts H], H and I2, are changed as one unit. v

The main burner is indicated generally at l3 and it receives its fuel supply from the fuel container H through the usual valvedcon rrection M with which such gas bottles or fuel containers ll are ordinarily. equipped. The improved'device includes a pigtail connection l5 detachably made to-the valved connection I 4. V Y j I Above the main burner I3 is a flame guardlfi and a flame deflector H. The main burner is served by a pilot burner l8 and the. fuel from the tank I l is supplied to the main burner l3 through a regulator IS with whichthepigtail l5 connects. As a part of. the burner assembly I provide a thermostatic valve 20 for regulating the operation of the main burner I3 in accordance with thermal conditions in the. indoor atmospherein which the heater is placed, H i There are openings 2| in the sidewall ofthe casing l2 at appropriate pointsto give, access to the regulator, burners, both main and pilot the thermostat and the valved connection |,4 for the purpose of regulation.

The main burner and its assembly are'carried within the casing l2 by an appropriate supporting structure. In the instance shown uprights 22 support a transverse beam 23. n The beam. 23 supports a cross or cruciform connecting member 29 (shown inFig'ureB), the cross members of which carry the various unts as hereinafter explained. The flame guard I6 is connected to slotted resilient arms 24 whose slots 25 are adapted to engage keepers '26 externally on the casing l2 as shownin Figure 1. These slotted resilient arms may be provided in any. suitable number one being shown particularly in Figure 9 as hav ing anfofi'set portion 21 and flared free lower end 28. The length of the arm.24 above the offset 21 is weldedor otherwise secured to the outside of the cage or flame guard l6. The off setshoulder ll provides a seat 'whereby the arms upon such cross beam 23. The main burner l3 of a usual form is also supported by the cross beam 23 or by other members of the supporting structure and'connects with its source of fuel supply through the passage 3|.

The regulator l9 receives its. fuel through the pigtail I5. This 'pigtail as shown; in Figure .2. has a screw plug 39 or other form of detachable connection for engaging with the upper end of the valved connection l4 shown in Figure 1. This valved connection has a valve with an exposed turning. member 40 which is accessible for opening and closing the valve through one of the openings 2| in the side wall of easing l2. A wrench 4| maybe supplied and held. captive. to the device by a chain or other connection 42, such wrench being suitable for mating with a nut 43.upon the plug t9v whereby the pigtail. may be disconnectedfrom the valved connection l4 when a'newv'container II is to replace an exhausted. one. V

Fuel fiows through the regulator, passage 30 to the valve member 44 of the thermostatic device The thermostat through its valve member 44 regulates the rate of flow ofthe gas to the main burner .l'3. The pilot burner I8 is supplied through a by-pass 46 which by-passes the Valve member and allows a restricted amount of fuel to flow at all. times to the pilot burner l8.

In Figure 7 the flame deflector is shown in in-. vertedposition as being substantially. conical in form .with atruncated end portion having an opening 41 to fit about a part of the burner l3.

The conical Wall. deflects the rising flame from the burner l3v outwardly in a substantiallyhorizontal direction. .In other words it spreads-the flame and spreads the influence of the heat- In cooperationwiththe. flame deflector I! the flame guard [5 acts to prevent this spread flame and heat from contacts. with persons orinflammable objects.

In- Figure 9 a ring, 48 is shown. This ring receives on the outside thereof, as shown in Figure 2, the upper ends of the uprights 22 (Figure 4) and such .parts are welded or otherwise secured together so that the uprights 22 depend and are supportedufrom the ring 48.

As shown in Figure 5 angle irons carry downwardly turned terminal ends 49. which are also welded or otherwise secured to the outside surface of the ring48 at points angularly displaced about the ring-48 from the uprights: 22... These angle connections (Figure 5) also. have horizon-.- tal shanks 50 which span the upperedge of the casing I2 and.v may rest upon such upperedge and serve to. bring .the arms 5| of. the angle con- The angle connections 50 serve to support the ring 48 within the confines of the upper end of the casing l2 and spaced from the inner wall of the casing l2. The ring supports the uprights 22 and such uprights carry the horizontal or transverse beam 23 which supports the cross connecting device 29 and the member units thereof.

Referring to. Figure 4 flanges 53 are preferably turned from. the lower ends of the uprights 22 and welded upon the end portions of the beam It will be appreciated from the foregoing that I have provided a thermostatically controlled portable space heater for use particularly with railroadzjcars, trucks, truck-trailers and other similarvehicles;.

The burner is preferably of the type designed for liquefied petroleum gas with a capacity of from 10,000 to 19,250 B. t. u.s per hour.

, The thermostat 20 is mounted integrally with the heater and easily'accessible. It is preferablyiadiustable from a range of 50 to degrees but not necessarily limited thereto; and it provides; uniform temperature in the space bein heated. A spring clip- 54 is provided on the face of the thermostat thusassuring a constant temperature setting when the heater is subjected to vibration. The spring clip may be easily raised manually if it is desired to change the temperature setting. For work of this kind what is known as' a,1'00% safety pilot of the Klixon type is provided to ignite the burner and to close off the gas supply completely in case of pilot failure.

The-gas container H is a steel cylinder preferably with a capacity of 20 poundsof propane gas. This container provides not only the source of the fuel but also a support for the heater mechanism and a protection against damage to part of the mechanism.

Theopenings 2f in the casing or collar l2 not only provide for access to the various members or units as hereinbefore explained but also allow forthe necessaryair' circulation.

I the 'oylinder H is exhausted of fuel, the completeburner assembly may be removed from the cylinder I I; by first unscrewing the plug 39 and removing the pigtail connection l5 from the valved connection l4 which is a part of the fuel container II. This is done by use of the wrench 4|. The lower ends of spring arms 24 are then pried out from the keepers 26 and the entire burner assembly including the guard l6 may be lifted off and out of the collar or casing l2. The unit 10, II and I2 is then removed and replaced by a full unit; whereupon the burner assembly is put in place, the spring arms 'snappedin the keepers and the plug 39 screwed inthe connection l4. When the valve at 40 is opened the new supply of fuel is made available to the regulator l9 and otherparts of the device.

. The nature of the described heater is such that the cylinder H supplies an unusual amount of thermostatically controlled heat in relation to its size'and weight; one filling of fuel being sufficient for 22 /2 to 43 hours of continuous oper- "ation. When the temperature is raised only a few degrees, the life of the fuel charge is much longer, depending on the size of the space and the temperature required.

1 The heater is extremely portable as the fuel supplyis self-contained and as, the heater reguires noventing or other external connections.

If, desired the. cradle l0 or other parts may be firm y attached to the foundation upon which it rests by means of suitable linkage, such as hooks, chains, wires, hold-down bolts, metal straps, etc.

The cone I1 is in the nature of a bafile and it serves to increase the heating efliciency and to protect the upper portion of the heater from direct heat. There is also a bafile 55 interposed between the thermostat 20 and the burner I3 to protect the thermostat from the direct heat of the burner. The opening 41 (Fig. 7) is for the purpose of attachment of the flame spreader I! to the burner l3 and still allow the guard to be adjusted to compensate for any unevenness in the top of the standard burner construction making it possible to level the spreader for the sake of appearance.

The screen IE will preferably be of heavy wire mesh, perforated steel, or similar substance but not necessarily limited thereto.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims. What is claimed is: 1. A heater unit comprising a fuel container,

a hollow casing having one end received over the fuel container, a supporting structure re movably disposed on the inside of the casing, a burner assembly carried on said structure and having a detachable connection to the source of fuel in the container, a flame guard positioned above the casing, slotted resilient arms on the guard, and keepers on the casing to detachably receive the slotted portions of said arms.

2. In combination, a cradle, a fuel container supported in the cradle, a casing supported upon the container and secured thereto, a burner assembly carried within said casing, a flame guard positioned above the casing, slotted resilient arms on the guard, and keepers on the casing to detachably receive the slotted portions of said arms.

3. A heater comprising a fuel container, a hollow casing having one end received over the fuel container, a burner assembly removably carried within the casing, a ring having arms dependent therefrom, a beam carried by said arms, clips supporting said ring and detachably hooking over the edge of the casing, a flame guard supported by rigid arms and attached to said .clips, slotted spring arms aflixed at the upper portions over the upper parts of said flame guard supporting arms, said arms having oifset portions supported by the upper edge of the casing through said clips, and keepers on the casing detachably and interlockingly engaging the slotted portions of the resilient arms.

4. A heater comprising a fuel container, a hollow casing having one end received over the fuel container, a burner assembly removably carried within the casing and having a detachable connection to the source of fuel in the container, a supporting structure carrying the assembly and having parts detachably supported on the casing, said supporting structure comprising a ring having arms dependent therefrom, a beam carried by said arms, clips supporting said ring and detachably hooking over the edge of the casing, a flame guard supported by rigid arms and attached to said clips, slotted spring arms affixed at the upper portions over the upper parts of said flame guard supporting arms, said arms having offset portions supported by the upper edge of the casing by said clips, and keepers on the casing detachably and interlockingly engaging the slotted portions of the resilient arms.

PETER A. ANDERSON. 

